Vanuatu govt awaits decision on opposition's motion of no confidence

The Vanuatu government is awaiting a court decision to determine whether a motion of no confidence by the opposition party is legal.

The speaker, Philip Boedoro, ruled last week that the motion was not in order.

Our Vanuatu correspondent, Hilaire Bule, says the government claimed that signatures on the motion had been forged by the opposition.

The Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industries, Marcellino Pipite, was also sacked for signing the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil.

Mr Bule says the opposition sought an urgent court order, and the outcome of this will determine whether the no confidence vote against the Prime Minister can go ahead.

"That is the question, because last week they were claiming 28 members of the parliament, so if they still got that support, it is likely that if the court is making the ruling in favour of the opposition, the parliament will meet."

Hilaire Bule says if the ruling goes the way of the opposition parliament could meet to vote on the motion as early as today.